Sawhorses have been known and used in the construction and/or woodworking industries to support work pieces since at least as early as the 1800's. Traditional sawhorses are comprised of at least one horizontal beam or ledger spanning a pair of splayed legs that are positioned near the terminal ends of the ledger. Typically, the horizontal ledger includes a flat upper work surface for supporting a load. Optionally, sawhorses are known to include one or more braces between the legs to provide for additional support and stability. In the field, sawhorses are most commonly utilized in pairs, such that work pieces or scaffolds can be supported by the work surfaces of both sawhorses.
Despite the fact that such traditional sawhorses have been around for many years, there are still many drawbacks associated therewith. For example, on a typical job site, workers often must construct two or more sawhorses as supports for ripping/cutting the numerous pieces of lumber that are required for most building projects. However, when cutting lumber that is positioned over a working surface of a traditional sawhorse, a worker often cuts into the horizontal ledger of the underlying sawhorse. Subsequent cuts continue to damage the sawhorse(s) until the working surface becomes unstable and/or unlevel, which makes the continued use of that particular sawhorse undesirable and/or unsafe. Thus, once the horizontal ledger of such a sawhorse has been sufficiently damaged to dissuade further use, a worker is often required to construct an entirely new sawhorse to provide an adequate working surface. The assembly of one or more new sawhorses is both time consuming and wastes the worker's resources. Additionally, since traditional sawhorses are largely constructed from wood, they are quite heavy and are cumbersome. As a result, such sawhorses are not easily transported and are typically constructed on site.
Accordingly, it can be seen that needs exist for an improved sawhorse that is both portable and long-lasting. It is to the provision of these needs and others that the present invention is primarily directed.